Get a Look at Hallmark Channel’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’ 2020 Movies (PHOTOS)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Hallmark is dishing out some new original movies for the occasion.
This year’s “Countdown to Christmas” features a first: The Christmas House, starring Jonathan Bennett, follows a gay couple looking to adopt. It also has some new faces (like Aaron Tveit and Mallory Jansen) and familiar favorites (like Holly Robinson Peete and Candace Cameron Bure).
Plus, Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell and Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp star in movies together again, and there’s another installment of Christmas in Evergreen.
Scroll down for the stars, synopses, and photos for the movies coming to Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” this year. (All movies are at 8/7c.)
Jingle Bell Bride
Cast: Julie Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Air date: Saturday, October 24
Synopsis: Wedding planner Jessica Perez (Gonzalo) travels to a remote town in Alaska to find a rare flower for a celebrity client and is charmed by the small town during Christmas, as well as the handsome local (Rowe Jr.) helping her.
Chateau Christmas
Cast: Merritt Patterson and Luke Macfarlane
Air date: Sunday, October 25
Synopsis: Margot (Patterson), a world-renowned pianist, returns to Chateau Newhaus to spend the holidays with her family and is reunited with an ex (Macfarlane) who helps her rediscover her passion for music.
One Royal Holiday
Cast: Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Krystal Joy Brown, Victoria Clark, and Tom McGowan
Air date: Saturday, October 31
Synopsis: When Anna (Osnes) offers a stranded mother (Clark) and son (Tveit) shelter in a blizzard, she learns that they are the Royal Family of Galwick. Anna shows the Prince how they do Christmas in her hometown, encouraging him to open his heart and be true to himself.
On the 12th Date of Christmas
Cast: Mallory Jansen and Tyler Hynes
Air date: Sunday, November 1
Synopsis: Two seemingly incompatible game designers team up to create a romantic, city-wide scavenger hunt themed for the “12 Days of Christmas.”
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater
Cast: Ashley Williams and Niall Matter
Air date: Saturday, November 7
Synopsis: Single mom Maggie (Williams) is facing Christmas alone until Lucas (Matter) crashes into her life and becomes an unexpected houseguest. Together they overcome Christmas while finding comfort in their growing bond.
Christmas with the Darlings
Cast: Katrina Law and Carlo Marks
Air date: Sunday, November 8
Synopsis: Just before the holidays Jessica Lew (Law) is ending her tenure as the assistant to her wealthy boss to use her recently earned law degree within his company, but offers to help his charming, younger brother (Marks) as he looks after his orphaned nieces and nephew over Christmas.
Christmas in Vienna
Cast: Sarah Drew and Brennan Elliott
Air date: Saturday, November 14
Synopsis: Jess (Drew), a concert violinist whose heart just isn’t in it anymore, goes to Vienna for a performance. While there, she finds the inspiration she has been missing, and a new love.
A Timeless Christmas
Cast: Ryan Paevey and Erin Cahill
Air date: Sunday, November 15
Synopsis: Charles Whitley (Paevey) travels from 1903 to 2020 where he meets Megan Turner (Cahill), a tour guide at his historic mansion, and experiences a 21st Century Christmas.
A Nashville Christmas Carol
Cast: Jessy Schram, Wes Brown, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, RaeLynn, Kix Brooks, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Air date: Saturday, November 21
Synopsis: Vivienne Wake (Schram), a workaholic television producer in charge of a country music Christmas special showcasing newcomer Alexis (Raelynn), never lets personal feelings get in the way of business. On the verge of accepting a job in LA, and with the return of Gavin Chase (Brown), her childhood sweetheart and manager to the special’s headliner, Belinda (Evans), she receives a visit from the ghost of her recently deceased mentor, Marilyn (Judd). Her mentor warns her current path leads to a dark future and has recruited both the Spirit of Christmas Past (Brooks) and the Spirit of Christmas Present (Williams-Paisley) to help her get back on track. The Spirits’ time-jumping adventures force Vivienne to take hold of her life.
The Christmas House
Cast: Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence and Brad Harder
Air date: Sunday, November 22
Cast: Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis (Lawrence) and patriarch Bill (Williams), have summoned their two grown sons – TV star, Mike Mitchell (Buckley) and Brandon Mitchell (Bennett) – home for the holidays. It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house, will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband Jake (Harder) make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi (Ayora), his high school sweetheart.
Heart of the Holidays
Cast: Vanessa Lengies, Corey Sevier
Air date: Monday, November 23
Synopsis: When Sam Wallace’s (Lengies) life on Wall Street falls apart, she heads back to her small town for Christmas and comes face to face with her former flame Noah (Sevier), the local café owner and community organizer. After initially struggling to break the ice, Sam and Noah join forces to put on an event at the food bank, reigniting Sam’s humanitarian spirit and their feelings for each other. But when Sam’s ex shows up dangling a dream job back in New York, Sam must decide if she’ll return to the city or follow her heart back to her community and to Noah.
A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado
Cast: Rochelle Aytes and Mark Taylor
Air date: Tuesday, November 24
Synopsis: Erin (Aytes) is planning the town’s Christmas celebration and must win over firefighter Kevin (Taylor) in order to obtain the beautiful spruce tree from his property for the celebration.
Good Morning Christmas
Cast: Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas
Air date: Wednesday, November 25
Synopsis: Two competing TV hosts (Sweeney and Blucas) are sent to a festive small town over Christmas. While pretending to get along for the sake of appearances, they discover that there’s more to each other than they thought.
Christmas by Starlight
Cast: Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell
Air date: Thursday, November 26
Synopsis: Annie (Sustad), a lawyer, must help her loved ones this holiday season. Her family’s restaurant, The Starlight Café, is slated for demolition. The heir to the development firm responsible, William (Campbell), makes her an unlikely proposition: he’ll spare the café if Annie spends the week “appearing” as the legal counsel his father is demanding he hire in the wake of some costly mistakes.
Five Star Christmas
Cast: Bethany Joy Lenz and Victor Webster
Air date: Friday, November 27
Synopsis: After moving back to her hometown, Lisa (Lenz) plots with her siblings and grandparents to help her father’s new bed and breakfast get a five-star review from an incognito travel critic (Webster), but ends up falling for him, not knowing he is the real critic.
Christmas Waltz
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp and JT Church
Air date: Saturday, November 28
Synopsis: After Avery’s (Chabert) storybook Christmas wedding is canceled unexpectedly, dance instructor Roman (Kemp) helps her rebuild her dreams.
If I Only Had Christmas
Cast: Candace Cameron Bure and Warren Christie
Air date: Sunday, November 29
Synopsis: At Christmas, a cheerful publicist (Bure) teams up with a cynical business owner (Christie) and his team to help a charity in need.
Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing
Cast: Holly Robinson Peete, Colin Lawrence, Rukiya Bernard, Antonio Cayonne and Barbara Niven
Air date: Saturday, December 5
Synopsis: As Michelle’s (Peete) wedding approaches, Hannah (Bernard) steps up to help finish the launch of the new Evergreen museum while questioning her relationship and future with Elliot (Cayonne).
Christmas She Wrote
Cast: Danica McKellar and Dylan Neal
Air date: Sunday, December 6
Synopsis: When Kayleigh (McKellar), a romance writer, has her column cancelled right before Christmas, she heads home to reconnect with her family. Kayleigh gets an unexpected visit from the man (Neal) who cancelled her column who fights not only to bring her back to the publisher but also for her heart.
Love, Lights, Hanukkah
Cast: Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner
Air date: Saturday, December 12
Synopsis: As Christina (Kirshner) prepares her restaurant for its busiest time of year, she gets back a DNA test revealing that she’s Jewish. The discovery leads her to a new family and an unlikely romance over eight nights.
Christmas Comes Twice
Cast: Tamera Mowry-Housley and Michael Xavier
Air date: Sunday, December 13
Synopsis: Emily (Mowry-Housley) is a top newscaster who has achieved her career dreams but still has regrets about the guy (Xavier) who got away five years earlier. When the Christmas carnival comes to town, a ride around the carousel takes her magically back in time to the carnival five years before…giving her a second chance at love before she must return to Christmas present.
A Christmas Carousel
Cast: Rachel Boston and Neal Bledsoe
Air date: Saturday, December 19
Synopsis: When Lila (Boston) is hired by the Royal Family of Marcadia to repair a carousel, she must work with the Prince (Bledsoe) to complete it by Christmas.
Cross Country Christmas
Cast: Rachael Leigh Cook and Greyston Holt
Air date: Sunday, December 20
Synopsis: Former classmates Lina (Cook) and Max (Holt) are traveling home for the holidays, until a storm hits and they have to work together to make it home in time, no matter the mode of transportation.
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